Research in the Beaulac Group: Nanoscience & Nanotechnologies

Colloidal quantum dots (QDs) are inorganic semiconductor nanoparticles with exciting electronic and optical properties.

!The Beaulac group at MSU is invested in the discovery and study of new QD mater ials for var ious technological applications such energy-efficient lighting, high-resolution displays, solar-energy conversion, new chemical and biological sensors, and spin-based information processing devices.

Our approach is multi-disciplinary by design: students working in the group are exposed to principles of Materials, Inorganic, Organometallic, & Physical Chemistry. !This REU project will involve the synthesis and characterization of water-soluble QDs, which eliminate the need of toxic non-polar solvents typically used with these materials. The project will involve learning standard air-free synthetic methods and using state-of-the-art spectroscopic and electrochemical methods to measure the stability and performance of these new materials.